Abstract
Due to the low winter temperatures in rural areas of Northeast China, biomass fuels are widely used for heating and cooking, resulting in increased concentrations of PAHs in rural indoor areas during the heating period and threatening human health. Therefore, exploring the pollution characteristics, source localization, and risk assessment of indoor PAHs in rural Northeast China is of great significance for improving rural indoor air quality. In this study, PAHs were collected from a residential building in rural Northeast China for one consecutive year (January 2020–December 2020), and their concentrations were determined to explore the distribution patterns and sources of PAHs to further assess the carcinogenic risk of PAHs to humans. The results of the study showed that the average concentration of indoor PAHs in rural areas during the heating period (93.02 ng/m3) was about 1.81 times higher than that of the non-heating period (51.26 ng/m3). The main sources of PAHs were mixed combustion of biomass and coal, motor vehicle emissions, and domestic waste combustion. The level of indoor PAHs pollution has posed a carcinogenic risk to the health of the rural population in the Northeast.
Highlights
Particulate matter has become the primary pollutant in the air environment and is closely related to epidemiology [1]
Relevant studies have shown that poorly ventilated housing and frequent summer rains in Tibetan areas lead to high moisture content in yak dung, resulting in low combustion efficiency [66], which can cause an increase in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and endanger human health
The PAHs in this study showed a U-shaped distribution throughout the year, and the highest concentrations of indoor PAHs were reached during the heating period, especially during the Spring Festival, when the PAHs were influenced by a combination of indoor and outdoor factors
Summary
Particulate matter has become the primary pollutant in the air environment and is closely related to epidemiology [1]. Relevant studies have shown that high levels of particulates exposure increase cardiovascular risk [2,3,4,5,6], respiratory disease [7,8,9,10], premature death [11,12,13], etc. PAHs are a kind of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) attached to particulate matter, which have a greater health impact on the human body [16]. Related epidemiological studies indicate that because of the toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation of PAHs [17], long-term or excessive human exposure to PAHs will lead to health diseases such as cancer [18,19], reproductive problems, and gene mutations [20,21]. The environmental health problems caused by PAHs have attracted widespread attention
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